Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “I’m not ready yet.”

  Hunter shrugged. “You know Gabriel probably isn’t going to give you an option. If you keep mooning after Chloe, he’s going to force you to find a mate or leave the pack. I’d hate to see you go, man. You need to find someone to at least date, to show him you’re trying to put the past behind you. I think that would go a long way.”

  “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

  “I may know someone if you decide you’re ready to date. It doesn’t have to be anything serious, but she knows about us so you wouldn’t have to hide who you are.”

  “You’ve been spilling secrets?”

  “No nothin’ like that. She’s my sister.”

  Ramsey choked on his beer. “Sister? I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  “I haven’t told anyone she’s in town yet. She just arrived last week. I know I need to tell Gabriel, but I was trying to let her get settled first. Besides, I know he’ll want her to mate with someone in the pack and I don’t think she’s ready for that yet.”

  “Why not?”

  “She’s only twenty-three so I don’t think she’s ready to settle down.” He noticed Ramsey’s look. “I know there’s an age gap between you, but I think it would work if you wanted to date her. She’s a sweet girl, kind of like Chloe.”

  “I’ll think about it and let you know in a day or two.”

  “Good. I’d like to say she’s already attached to someone before I introduce her to the alpha. I’d rather it be you than anyone else. At least I know you’ll treat her right.”

  Ramsey grinned. “Thanks. It’s not everyday a guy trusts me with his sister.”

  Chapter Three

  A few days later, Ramsey had settled back into a routine at work and home. Luna seemed to be doing well and making friends with Kiera. And so far, he’d managed to avoid seeing Chloe and Michael. But he knew his luck couldn’t last forever.

  After much thinking, he’d decided that maybe Hunter’s idea hadn’t been so bad after all. He’d talked to him briefly at lunch and had invited him and his sister over for dinner that night.

  So now that work was over, he found himself rushing home to shower and change. For the first time since returning to Ashton Grove, his home didn’t seem quite so empty. Maybe that had something to do with the fact he knew he was going to have company shortly.

  After scrubbing the sweat and grease from his body, he got out and dressed in a clean pair of jeans and white tee. He ran his hand over his jaw, his fingers rasping against his five o’clock shadow. He contemplated shaving, but a glance at the clock told him he didn’t have time if he wanted to have dinner ready by seven. He’d left work a little early so he could make lasagna, one of the few things his mother had taught him to make when he’d moved out on his own.

  In the kitchen, he gathered the ingredients and got to work. If he were honest, he’d have to admit that he liked to cook. It wasn’t something he’d like to do every day, but he enjoyed it a few times a week.

  Once he had the dish in the oven, he made sure the house was straightened up before sitting down to wait. He didn’t have long before the doorbell rang.

  With a smile, he opened the door... and froze. He’d expected Hunter’s sister to be pretty, but he hadn’t thought she would be gorgeous. She had Hunter’s blonde hair, which hung in curls down to her waist, and big blue eyes.

  “I know we’re a little early,” said Hunter, “but...”

  “It’s fine. Come on in.”

  Ramsey stepped back to allow them entrance into his home. As Hunter’s sister walked by, he inhaled her scent. She smelled like cherry blossoms. Closing the door, he joined them in the living room.

  “Ramsey,” Hunter said, “this is my sister, Harper. Harper, this is Ramsey.”

  Harper smiled at him and he was dazzled. For someone so tiny, she certainly packed a punch. She was petite, but curved in all the right places. Not that he should be noticing something like that with her brother standing in the same room.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Harper.”

  Hunter must have noticed the look on his face because she gave him a knowing grin. Ramsey cleared his throat and motioned for them to sit.

  “It was nice of you to come over on such short notice,” Ramsey told Harper.

  “I haven’t had a social life since I moved here, so it’s nice to get out. Besides, it’s nice to meet one of Hunter’s friends. He’s kept the pack away from me so far. I was surprised to be honest.”

  “That he’s kept them away or that he’s introducing us?” Ramsey asked.

  “Both,” she replied.

  Hunter shook his head. “I told you why I was keeping them away. And I’m introducing you to Ramsey because he’s the best of the bunch. If you’re going to hang out with the pack, I’d rather you start with Ramsey.”

  Harper eyed Ramsey with interest. “Does this have anything to do with your idea of me dating someone before being introduced to your alpha?”

  Hunter shrugged. “Maybe. I figured if it was going to be anyone, I’d rather it be Ramsey. You won’t find a better guy.”

  “Maybe I should go check on dinner while the two of you talk this out,” Ramsey said, excusing himself from the room. He would have thought that Hunter would have talked to his sister before arriving on his doorstep instead of letting her walk in blind.

  The lasagna was done so he pulled it from the oven and sat it on top of the stove to cool. He’d already set the table so there wasn’t much left for him to do, but he didn’t want to rush right back into the living room either. He wanted to make sure Hunter and Harper had time to work things out.

  Looking out the kitchen window, he saw Luna walking up the stairs to her apartment with a small bag of groceries. Any other night, he would have invited her to join them, but he hadn’t, not knowing what to expect. He’d thought it might be weird for her to be present when he was meeting someone else, especially knowing her feelings for him. Honestly, he hadn’t seen much of her since they’d been back. She had her car and was able to get around on her own now. The most he saw of her was watching her come and go from her apartment or seeing her at Kiera’s house when he was working. He wasn’t sure if she was avoiding him or if he was avoiding her.

  He felt a small hand on his back and looked over his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Harper said softly. “He just sort of surprised me.That’s all.”

  “It’s okay, I understand.”

  “Hunter and I did some talking and I’d like to get a chance to know you, Ramsey. If everything he says is true, then you’re the type of guy I would normally date,” she grinned, “with the added bonus of being a wolf.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She stepped closer to him, their bodies nearly touching. “Before I knew that my brother was trying to set us up, I was interested in you. I don’t know how to explain it, but I was instantly drawn to you, Ramsey.”

  “I felt it, too,” he admitted reluctantly. “But that doesn’t mean you have to feel obligated to...”

  She placed two fingers over his lips to silence him. “I’m not obligated. I want to get to know you. Not because of the pack, but because I’ll always wonder what if. I think there could be something between us, but we’ll never know if we don’t give it a shot.”

  Ramsey gently took her hand in his and kissed the back of her fingers. “I’m willing if you are.”

  Her breath hitched in her throat, and she wrapped her other hand around the back of his neck and brought his head down for a kiss. As her lips met his, Ramsey knew he was lost. Her petal soft lips pressed against his made him forget where they were and he wrapped her in his embrace. As his mouth moved over hers, he tangled his hand in her hair. His whole body felt alive, more alive than it had been since Chloe had left him.

  “Don’t mind me,” Hunter said as he stepped into the kitchen.

  Ramsey stopped kissing Harper, but he didn’t release her. Forget dating. He wanted her. He didn’t wa
nt there to be even the slightest chance that someone else could take her, or that Gabriel could mate her to someone. Or worse, mate him to someone. He knew without a doubt that Harper was the woman who would help him get over Chloe. Just holding her made it easier to think about the sweet redhead that he’d thought to make his mate.

  “I just thought I’d come check on dinner since the two of you disappeared,” Hunter said.

  Harper shook her head. “More like you came to rescue your baby sister.”

  “No. I trust Ramsey. If anything happens between the two of you, I know it will be mutual and not just one-sided.”

  Harper leaned into Ramsey’s embrace. “Then you really didn’t have a problem with us seeing each other?”

  “I wouldn’t have introduced you if I did.”

  Ramsey hugged her tight. “Let’s eat. We can talk more about this later.”

  Reluctantly, he released her and picked up the lasagna and a spatula. The sooner the dinner portion of the evening was over, the sooner he could talk to Harper about whatever was between them, and he couldn’t deny there was something there. While there was a physical chemistry, he felt there was more to it than that. How could he feel so much for a woman he’d just met? He knew nothing about her, but that didn’t seem to matter. All that mattered was being near her.

  During dinner, he learned a little about her, and told her a little about himself. Hunter joined in with stories about his last pack and it gave Ramsey insight into what Harper’s life had been like. It made him understand why Hunter wanted his sister protected when she met the alpha. And Ramsey knew he would do anything he could to protect her. The thought startled him, but at the same time, he accepted it. As a werewolf, his life was anything but normal, and he’d learned to rely on his instincts. And right now, those instincts were telling him to keep Harper as close as possible.

  “So how long have you been in Ashton Grove?” Ramsey asked her.

  “About two weeks. I’ve been living with Hunter, which makes it hard to hide from the pack.”

  “Would you want to stay here?” he asked, shocking not only himself, but Hunter and Harper as well. “Forget I asked. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “If I stayed here, would it be as a roommate or your girlfriend?” she asked.

  Ramsey wasn’t sure how to answer. He knew how he wanted to answer, but would that be the correct way? What did she want? Did she feel the same connection he did, or was he just imagining things? He knew he had to respond. He just hoped his answer didn’t send Harper running and have Hunter reaching for his throat.

  “Girlfriend,” he replied.

  She stared at him in silence for a moment, long enough to make him uncomfortable. Was she offended? Had he just ruined any chance with her?

  “When can I move in?” she asked.

  Ramsey released a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Is tonight too soon?” he asked half joking.

  She smiled. “No. I think tonight would be perfect.”

  Hunter observed the two of them with a smile on his face. “I had a feeling about you two. Things are just moving a little faster than I’d anticipated.”

  “You know I won’t do anything to hurt her,” Ramsey assured him.

  Hunter nodded.

  “There’s something I should tell you, Harper, so you’re walking into this with your eyes wide-open. About six months ago, I thought I’d found my mate. But there was a misunderstanding and now Chloe has been mated to the alpha’s younger brother. I’ve been gone since the wedding, pretending to be someone’s mate while trying to forget Chloe. I was successful at pretending to be Luna’s mate and she lives here now, in the apartment over the garage, but I haven’t been very good at getting over Chloe.

  “The thing is, while I was pretending to be mated to Luna, the two of us had to become intimate in order to convince her pack. I don’t think of her as more than a friend because I couldn’t get Chloe out of my head, but I think Luna loves me.

  “So my life is a little screwed up right now. I want you to move in here with me, more than anything, but I don’t want you to come in here blind. I thought you should know all of that before you take the step of actually moving in.”

  Harper looked a little stunned. “That’s a lot to take in.”

  “If you don’t want to move in tonight, or ever, I’ll understand.”

  She shook her head. “It isn’t that. It’s just... we’re going to have to face the alpha as a united front. And if we’re going to convince him we’ve been dating since you returned, it’s going to take some work. Especially if he knows that you still love his sister-in-law. And Luna living so close doesn’t help things any, since you said she has feelings for you.”

  “Let me handle Gabriel. The two of you need a night or two together away from the pack. That alone should start some talk,” Hunter said. “Ramsey, why don’t you head to the lake for a few days? I can tell Gabriel about my sister and let him know that you’re MIA at the same time. I can say that the last time I saw either of you, the two of you were heading off together.”

  Harper stood and began clearing the table. “Let’s get the dishes put away so we can get my bags and set the plan into motion. Most of my stuff was left in California so there isn’t much to pick up.”

  Chapter Four

  True to her word, Harper hadn’t taken long to pack. Ramsey hauled her bags into the house and sat them on the floor. They hadn’t really discussed sleeping arrangements or the plan, and he hated to make assumptions. Should he take her bags to a guest room or his bedroom? He knew where he wanted her to sleep, but that didn’t mean she wanted the same thing. His definition of her being his girlfriend might be different from what she had in mind.

  Harper threaded her fingers with his. “Which way is your room? I figured I could get some things put away and just pack what I need for two nights.”

  He nodded to the hall on the right. “Straight down there. Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes. Now come on. I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long day and I’m ready to hit the road so we can crash at a motel before too long.”

  “Harper, we just met. Maybe we should take things slow. I don’t want you to do anything you’d regret later.”

  “I don’t think we can afford slow. Besides, I’m eventually going to end up sharing your bed anyways. Why prolong the inevitable?” She grinned. “Why torture both of us when I can start out by sleeping in your arms tonight and every night hereafter instead of keeping separate rooms?”

  “You do realize normal couples don’t start out this way, right?”

  “We’re not normal. Besides, this is better than what would have happened to me in my old pack. I get to choose, and by choosing I get the best the pack has to offer.”

  He grinned. “So you’re just going to jump in with both feet? What happened to dating?”

  She smiled back. “The kiss. Once we kissed, I knew dating wasn’t necessary. I’ve never felt that way before. I probably shouldn’t say that, but it’s true.”

  Ramsey stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. “That kiss was the first time I didn’t think about Chloe. When I hold you in my arms, you’re all I think about, all I want.”

  “And it wasn’t like that with Luna?”

  He shook his head. “I thought about Chloe all the time when I was with Luna, even at night when we were in bed. Chloe was never far from my thoughts. I won’t lie. I still love her, but with you, I forget for a little while. I think with time, I can put her in my past... with your help.”

  She placed a hand on his cheek. “I’ll do anything I can. I meant what I said earlier. I’m here as your girlfriend, and everything that entails.”

  He lowered his head to kiss her, savoring the taste of her. As his mouth moved over hers, his lips caressing, teasing, he inhaled her scent, losing himself in her. Ramsey gave himself up to the kiss and the feelings Harper evoked. He didn’t remember feeling this way, not even with Chloe. The though
t startled him and he pulled back.

  “Come on. Let’s get our things together for our trip. It’s about two hours to the lake,” Ramsey said.

  Harper kissed him once more before grabbing one of her bags and walking down the hall to the bedroom. Picking up the remaining two bags, Ramsey followed her. When he put her bags down, he showed her the drawers that were still empty from when Chloe had used them last. It didn’t take long for Harper to put her things away and for the two of them to pack a small bag.

  When they got back outside, Harper laced her fingers with his. “Mr. Tucker, I do believe we have an audience,” she said softly.

  “Luna’s watching?” he asked.

  “From her window.” She reached up to caress his jaw. “Should we start laying the foundation for our story?”

  Ramsey grinned before lifting her into his arms and kissing her. When he felt her melt against him, he knew the kiss was more than just for show. Every time he kissed her, he lost all sense of time and place. He’d never experienced anything like it before. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he’d found his mate. But that was ridiculous. Only an alpha could sense a mate. And besides, Chloe had been his mate. Hadn’t she?

  He set her back down on her feet and opened the door for her. Once she was settled in the Hummer, he closed the door and picked up their bags. Walking around to the driver’s side, Ramsey stowed the bag in the backseat and got behind the wheel. He didn’t know what the next two days had in store for them, but he was anxious to get on the road so they could find out. From the few encounters he’d had with Harper, he knew they had chemistry, but he was hoping it was something more than that.

  There was one truth Ramsey had to face. With the way things stood between him and the alpha, he had no doubt he would either be mated to someone soon, or would be finding a new pack. And if he had to have a mate, he wanted her to be of his choosing. So far, Harper seemed ideal. She was beautiful, funny, smart... if the stories Hunter had told him were to be believed, she was sweet, too. She seemed to be everything he looked for in a mate.